Wicker Commends FCC Support for Mobility Fund Challenge Process Extension

Statement

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, today commended the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai for his support of a 90-day extension to the challenge process for the map of eligible areas for Mobility Fund Phase II support. The FCC's presumptive eligibility map will help determine up to $4.53 billion in support for rural wireless broadband expansion over the next 10 years.

"I commend FCC Chairman Pai for his commitment to extending the Mobility Fund Phase II presumptive eligibility challenge process by 90 days," Wicker said. "With so much at stake, it is important for us to get this map right so that the millions of rural Americans who currently lack broadband service will be first in line to receive support through the Mobility Fund program."

The FCC Chairman's announcement of support for the 90-day extension came in response to legislation and a letter led by Wicker, Senator Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan. The senators are concerned that there are significant flaws in the current map, which purportedly shows areas that are served by 4G LTE service.

Areas that are unserved by 4G LTE would be eligible for up to $4.53 billion in support for wireless broadband expansion. The map shows many areas of the senators' states to be covered, when on-the-ground experience suggests otherwise.

The senators hoped the 90-day change would allow additional outreach to stakeholders, and give challengers time to assemble the necessary data to challenge the eligibility map in their area.

On Thursday, the FCC will be hosting a presentation regarding the Mobility Fund Challenge process. The meeting is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson.

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